July 2013 - change - Mailing Lists

Re: [change] [Systers] ICT & RURAL AFRICA
by neetu jain 31 Jul '13

31 Jul '13

I want to bring this thead up again. to get answers to how exactly start up a center/NGO or something in a remote village. --lets say .. i have identified a region .. ( the region in Rajasthan, India has high female foeticide, child marraiges, domestic voilences cases) --I am fortunate to have some people on the ground .. willing to work with me and they are committed and passionate -- Now the questions i face are:-- how to i chart up a sustainable solution in this area?..now i am thinkign out loud ------Do i start a computer center in this region ? why ..how can computers helps in this remote desert area getting them employment ? how can internet, excel benefit these people? -------Do i start a social enterprise --that sounds better since girls in that region love to sew, or learn more home-making skills .. so they willbe interested in coming and learning and making new things (crafts, pots clothes bags e.t.c) ..because they are getting skills they can use and ..if a fair trade is established they can earn ..and hence get empowered. But then i don't have experience and i need guidance and i wonder if the costs can be broken down .. such as international sellings will actually translate to profits back home for these artisans ? --------Do i start a awareness center ..a information center probably is the low-caste safe alternative .. but its reach/impact also is not that much. So my question is . ..How to find the right solution for this remote village in Rajasthan ..to make a difference in the lived of those girls..Whom i dream of giving the same opportunities i was fortunate enough to get cheers, Neetu On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 4:35 PM, Rose G <iffatgill(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Hi Joan and Neetu, > > Joan, you really struck a nerve there. I have been working on the issue > since 2010 and have run into walls repeatedly. I am from Pakistan > originally, and we have power cuts for up to 18 or 20 hours every day. The > government is not promoting use of solar power nor looking in to providing > any incentives for switching to alternative energy sources. > > I started a technology centre in a very remote desert area (thanks to > Systers PIO award) and the girls travelled to the centre from miles for the > lessons and would sometimes wait a few hours before returning to their > homes. They would have wasted half their day, mane even bus fare and all in > vain. The situation was not so bad previously but because the power issue > got worse and worse, we were running out of luck about what to do. Now the > centre is used is a private lesson facility almost, if someone wants a > lesson or guidance about writing a job application, and there is power, > they are accommodated. If not, they go back without gaining anything. In > short, it is serving for the individual needs of some women but regular > group lessons have been a nightmare. > > Neetu, we were also facing similar social and cultural barriers of girls > not coming out of their homes, so we decided to make it a women only > centre. We had a very good respond, partly because it was a group of young > women who asked us to start such a facility. We got a managing board and a > steering committee for the centre in no time! > > I agree that connecting the needs of the women to the technology is very > important. You cannot just start a centre somewhere and hope for women to > walk unto it. It will only be a success if a genuine need for such a > facility has been identified. If the need is not there, there will be no > interest from the community. > > I hope to hear more on this topic especially where electric power issue is > concerned as I am planning to keep on with my mission of connecting women > from rural areas through modern information and communication technologies. > > Kind regards, > Iffat > > > On Apr 15, 2013, at 17:39 , neetu jain <nutshi(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > I have been very interested in knowing more about how technology can help > > rural remote areas. > > > > I would love to know more about your findings. > > > > Here are my 2 cents ( having good amount of exposure to remote villages > In > > Rajasthan, India) > > > > 1) the best means of information dissemination in rural villages is face > > to face. They have ample gatherings .. and any information that is > useful ( > > financially, physically e.t.c) spreads pretty fast ( even the gossips and > > non-useful info does ..but we are not considering that here) ...free food > > gatherings, awareness camps should be a hit..for spreading good > information > > > > 2) There is lot of resistance for girls to get out of home .. in general > in > > these places because of patriarchal system ..But if there is a safe > secure > > ways to make a decent earning .. often that resistance can be fought over > > > > 3) Safety of girls is the topmost priority .. if that in any ways is > > questionable ( like long travel, no support from the mail society e..tc) > > then no matter how good the initiative it is .. it will fail > > > > 4) Cellphones ( in India as well as in Africa) ..are invading even the > > rural sectors .. because if their usefulness .. they have transformed the > > way business happens atleast in villages known to me ( because hoarding > is > > a major occupation there ) > > > > 5) To involve girls .. we need to combine the "cultural part" with > > 'technology part".. to be well received .. Like traditional things that > > girls can do at home .. sewing, making other craft stuff e.t.c .. are > > vastly accepted in rural places .. as things to do for girls .. if > somehow > > using digital world into these hobbies and often occupations .. can be > > incorporated then i think it would be a good hit .. for ex .. a "sewing > > machine database" of a village ..somebody helps them checkout , maintain > > the database e.t.c , getting deisgns from internet , selling online > e.t.c > > e.t.c are few things that come to my mind ..on how their interests can > eb > > blended with technology to get better results > > > > > > 6) There was a computer donated by bill gates foundation in my village > .. i > > found out when i was there 10 years back .. It was in a cow shed --it had > > internet :) slow but still worked ..i was abel to chat with my fiance in > > Stanford from that cowshed -internet thanks to gated foundation . But it > > made me feel very sad .. on how technology goes waste ..when there is not > > enough effort spent in incorporating it into people's lives > > > > > > > > > > > > On Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 10:23 AM, African PRIDE Centre < > > africanpridecentre(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > > >> Any ideas on how we can transform rural folk, especially women and young > >> girls using ICT? Remember that grassroots lack power connections! > >> > >> Joan > >> > >> > >> To unsubscribe from this conversation, send email to < > >> systers%2Bafrica2%2Bunsubscribe(a)systers.org> or visit < > >> http://systers.org/mailman/options/systers?override=4855&preference=0> > >> To contribute to this conversation, use your mailer's reply-all or > >> reply-group command or send your message to systers%2Bafrica2(a)systers.org > >> To start a new conversation, send email to <systers%2Bnew(a)systers.org> > >> To unsubscribe entirely from systers, send email to < > >> systers-request(a)systers.org> with subject unsubscribe. > >> > > > > > > To unsubscribe from this conversation, send email to < > systers%2Bafrica2%2Bunsubscribe(a)systers.org> or visit < > http://systers.org/mailman/options/systers?override=4855&preference=0> > > To contribute to this conversation, use your mailer's reply-all or > reply-group command or send your message to systers%2Bafrica2(a)systers.org > > To start a new conversation, send email to <systers%2Bnew(a)systers.org> > > To unsubscribe entirely from systers, send email to < > systers-request(a)systers.org> with subject unsubscribe. > >

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Post-doc position with UW's ICTD group
by Gaetano Borriello 31 Jul '13

31 Jul '13

As part of an NSF-funded project in the Smart Health and Wellbeing program, the Computing for Development group in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at University of Washington is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate. The project aims to develop technology for mobile devices to support organizations deploying health solutions in low resource environments. The project will build on the group's experience in developing Open Data Kit and in working with global health partners to identify how mobile technologies can be applied to strengthen health programs. The Research Associate will conduct research in the application of mobile technologies to health care and will coordinate the development of a toolkit that makes artifacts from this project available as composable modules for other organizations to build their own customized health solutions. The Research Associate will monitor and coordinate research projects, develop external partnerships, design evaluation studies, write research papers, and promote the results of the project. The candidate must hold a PhD in Computer Science/Engineering or closely related field, ideally, with an emphasis on information and communication technologies for resource-constrained environments, or in lieu, thereof, a demonstrated interest in the discipline. The candidate should have a strong publication record with specific research experience in one or more of the following fields: Mobile Computing, Software Engineering, Human Computer Interaction, Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD). The position is for a period of one year (with the possibility of a second) starting as early as 1 September 2013. Related web sites: http://opendatakit.org http://change.washington.edu http://c4d.cs.washington.edu Contact Gaetano Borriello (gaetano(a)cs.uw.edu) and/or Richard Anderson (anderson(a)cs.uw.edu) if interested.

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Fwd: [TIER] Pakathon: A Hackathon for Pakistan
by Yaw Anokwa 30 Jul '13

30 Jul '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Samujjal (Shayan) Purkayastha <me(a)samujjal.com> Date: Sun, Jul 28, 2013 at 9:17 PM Subject: [TIER] Pakathon: A Hackathon for Pakistan To: tier(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu, ict4dev(a)csail.mit.edu, liberationtech(a)mailman.stanford.edu Hi everyone, This should be of interest to a lot of you. Pakistan presents some unique challenges within the developing world for both ictd and libtech practitioners, students, researchers and enthusiasts and this is a unique opportunity to meet others who are interested in the potential of technology to bring about a change in the region and create things that can have real impact on the ground. Please share widely within your networks and contact Asad Budruddin (cced here), one of the organizers if you have any questions. Regards, Samujjal Purkayastha [image: Inline image 2] We live in a unique moment in Pakistan's history. The country is witnessing an unprecedented democratic awakening. Many Pakistanis both at home and abroad are taking up civic duty to shape the future of their country. It is in this spirit we bring you the world's first #Pakathon -- a hackathon where techies and non-techies form teams, pair up with mentors and over the course of 40 hours come up with a business, website, app, software or project that aims to solve a problem you have identified in one of these fields (1) *Violence* (2) *Education* (3) *Energy* (4) *Agriculture* (5) *Disaster Relief* (6) *Health*. We are tired of people talking about Pakistan's problems. This is an Anti-Conference: we are starting where the conference ENDS. No talk just action. We are calling all hackers, educators, lawyers, doctors, dissidents, accountants, physicists, musicians, artists, scientists and entrepreneurs interested in making a difference to step forward and take part. The team with the best demo will win funding to carry their idea forward. Register here <http://pakathon.eventbrite.com/>, form teams here<http://www.hackathon.io/pakathon/projects>, and follow us on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/PakathonBoston> _______________________________________________ TIER mailing list Website: http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu TIER(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu https://www.millennium.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tier

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Request: Information on use of smartphones by the socially vulnerable
by Araba Sey 29 Jul '13

29 Jul '13

Hello friends, A colleague in Brazil is looking for examples of projects or studies at UW that look at "the use of smart phones amongst people in social vulnerability". If you are or have been involved in such work, please let me know. Thanks! araba Araba Sey Research Assistant Professor University of Washington Information School Technology & Social Change Group tascha.washington.edu Tel 206-685-3724

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Interesting article from an unlikely source
by Gaetano Borriello 29 Jul '13

29 Jul '13

On the modern "non-profit sector": http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/27/opinion/the-charitable-industrial-complex…

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Interesting take on possible future of population growth
by Gaetano Borriello 23 Jul '13

23 Jul '13

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/07/16/the-amazing-su…

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Fwd: [TIER] Hiring now: Rangzen -- Circumventing Government-Imposed Communications Blackouts
by Yaw Anokwa 23 Jul '13

23 Jul '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Shaddi Hasan <shaddi(a)cs.berkeley.edu> Date: Tue, Jul 23, 2013 at 9:41 AM Subject: [TIER] Hiring now: Rangzen -- Circumventing Government-Imposed Communications Blackouts To: "tier(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu" <tier(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu> Exciting stuff from TIER's own Yahel Ben-David. They're also hiring for a R&D lead: http://denovo.theresumator.com/apply/hGQLuw/RD-Team-Leader-Software-Enginee… FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. July 22th, 2013 – Berkeley, CA. Project “Rangzen” – Kickoff. Circumventing Government-Imposed Communication Blackouts The De Novo Group, a non-profit corporation based in Berkeley, California, is launching a technology research and development project into digital communication solutions that preserve anonymity and are infrastructure independent. The target beneficiaries of these solutions are citizens of oppressive regimes faced by government-imposed communication blackouts. The first stage of the project, budgeted at two million dollars, is primarily funded by the US State Department’s bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL). It will produce an Android application that relies on cutting-edge computer science research from the University of California at Berkeley. The project was conceived and is led by UC Berkeley PhD candidate and De Novo Group co-founder, Yahel Ben-David. Yahel is a member of the TIER (Technology and Infrastructure for Emerging Regions) research group, led by Prof. Eric Brewer in the department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS) and is co-advised by Prof. Scott Shenker who actively helps guide this research. “We are excited to undertake this important, practical, and urgent work and are thankful for the trust vested in us by our esteemed supporters. Especially, we are proud of our distinguished advisory board that will help propel this diverse, multidisciplinary initiative,” said Ben-David. A key challenge for any community-owned, decentralized, communication network is that of resource allocation and control. A network’s finite resources must be shared among citizens in a manner that deprioritizes unwanted traffic and abusive users, while desired content is allotted higher capacity. Current prioritization mechanisms often depend on a community reputation system: content from reputable users receive higher priority. However, use of reputation mechanisms conflicts with anonymity as it reveals and exposes its users. Anonymity is a critical property for dissent networks due to fear of persecution, but anonymity cripples traditional reputation systems which require authentication of users to defend against fake identities and Sybil attacks. This ostensible paradox has been the focus of the Berkeley research group over the past two years; the technical solution identified for this dilemma forms the cornerstone of the Rangzen project. Project website/contacts: http://rangzen.denovogroup.org/ _______________________________________________ TIER mailing list Website: http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu TIER(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu https://www.millennium.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tier

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Interactivos?'13 Nuvem Autonomics: Rural Sciences. Call for Projects
by Araba Sey 22 Jul '13

22 Jul '13

Call for projects to be developed within the framework of the international workshop Interactivos?'13 Nuvem Autonomics: Rural Sciences. Call for Projects Nuvem, in collaboration with Medialab-Prado in Madrid (Spain), issues a call for the selection of 5 residency proposals to be collaboratively developed at the rural hacklab rural of *Visconde de Mau? (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) from September 5 to 20, 2013.* Researches, professionals, and amateurs can submit their proposals on communications, food, drinking, health, energy, transportation or bio-construction from a rural point of view. *Deadline: August* *3, 2013 **For submissions and more information:* http://nuvem.tk/ -- Nerea Garc?a Garmendia Medialab-Prado Plaza de las Letras Calle Alameda, 15. 28014 Madrid difusion(a)medialab-prado.es<mailto:difusion@medialab-prado.es> http://www.facebook.com/MedialabPradoMadrid Twitter: @medialabprado <https://twitter.com/medialabprado> /"Antes de imprimir este documento aseg?rate de que es realmente necesario. ?Gracias por tu colaboraci?n!"/ Araba Sey Research Assistant Professor University of Washington Information School Technology & Social Change Group tascha.washington.edu Tel 206-685-3724

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Fwd: [TIER] two Job openings at ALLIANCE FOR AFFORDABLE INTERNET
by Yaw Anokwa 22 Jul '13

22 Jul '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Bruce Baikie <bruce(a)green-wifi.org> Date: Mon, Jul 22, 2013 at 2:30 PM Subject: [TIER] two Job openings at ALLIANCE FOR AFFORDABLE INTERNET To: "tier(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu" <tier(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu> Forwarding this to the list: Job Opportunities https://a4ai.org/get-involved/job-opportunities/ Policy Manager Want to use your policy skills and experience to make a positive impact on the lives of billions around the world? We’re looking for a policy manager who can design and implement effective advocacy strategies to achieve A4AI’s goals of policy change leading to dramatic reductions in broadband costs in the developing world. As part of this role, you’ll orchestrate joint actions by A4AI members and build strategic partnerships with other key allies. You’ll also be responsible for managing the development of a powerful evidence base, including working with our research team to produce a flagship annual publication on broadband affordability. Membership Co-ordinator A4AI’s most important asset is its members, and we need someone to help us grow our membership and manage these crucial relationships at diverse organizations. In this roles, you’ll be responsible for ensuring that A4AI meets its ambitious targets for recruiting members across all sectors, and that our members are strongly engaged in our activities. _______________________________________________ TIER mailing list Website: http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu TIER(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu https://www.millennium.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tier

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ICT4D scholarships for students
by Anupam Jain5 19 Jul '13

19 Jul '13

Please contact Marie or Alessandro (cc-ed) thanks, Anupam IBM Research ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Thu, Jul 18, 2013 at 8:43 PM To: Anupam Jain <anupamjain(a)gmail.com> Dear Anupam, My name is Marie and I’m responsible for the marketing and administration management at the International Federation for Information and Technology and Travel and Tourism (IFITT). I would like to inform you that IFITT is currently offering talents from developing or emerging countries to apply for the IFITT ICT4D scholarship. This scholarship supports skilled university students from emerging or developing countries who are currently researching on a topic in the area of information and communication technologies for development and who want to provide a positive impact onto their respective communities through the application of ICT. Moreover, the scholarship is a great way for applicants to exploit maximum opportunities for enhancing their studies and discussing them with other academics from around the world at the ENTER 2014 PhD workshop. The scholarship entails an assignment of a tutor, funding of ENTER 2014 participation (up to € 2’000 travel, accommodation and conference fee) and a free IFITT membership for one year. The submission for the scholarship has to be done in form of a proposal (derived from a Master or on going PhD Thesis) that shows a clear orientation to electronic tourism and local development. Specific requirements are stated at: www.ifitt.org/admin/public/uploads/IFITT-ENTER_ICT4D_Scholarship2014.pdf. In addition to the proposal, a curriculum vitae together with evidences of PhD enrolment and/or university contract as well as an indication of your progress toward completion of the thesis (i.e. thinking about it, just beginning the process, completed proposal, etc.) has to be attached. All proposals have to be submitted to Dr Alessandro Inversini ( ainversini(a)bournemouth.ac.uk) by September 1, 2013. Please check if you eligible for receiving the IFITT ICT4D Scholarship. Eligibility requires you to be enrolled as a PhD (priority) or Master (or equivalent) University programme in one of the eligible countries that can be found in the call for proposals at: www.ifitt.org/admin/public/uploads/IFITT-ENTER_ICT4D_Scholarship2014.pdf. In this university you may also have a research or work contract (e.g. researcher, lecturer), which should not expire for the next 6 months after ENTER2014 (i.e. July, 2014). If you are interested in applying for this scholarship, we are looking forward to read your proposal and wish you all the best for your submission. We would also appreciate if you could share this information with your friends on your social networks. Best Regards, Marie http://ifitt.org/home/view/ict4d_scholarship -- "What is meditation?" (http://www.sahajmarg.org/meditation)

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